[364] in Discussion of MIT-community interests
Re: urgent [was: re: Nu Delta]
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Aisha D Stroman)
Mon Apr 30 22:06:28 2001
Message-Id: <200105010202.WAA12853@w20-575-82.mit.edu>
To: Alex Coventry <alex_c@MIT.EDU>
cc: Aimee L Smith <alsmith@MIT.EDU>,
"Jimmy_B,MajMoola,MechWarrior,
etc._Chien-ta Wu" <jimmbswu@MIT.EDU>,
mit-talk@MIT.EDU, adstrom@MIT.EDU
In-Reply-To: Your message of "30 Apr 2001 21:56:11 EDT."
<etdr8y9essk.fsf@w20-575-20.mit.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2001 22:02:07 -0400
From: Aisha D Stroman <adstrom@MIT.EDU>
I attended a meeting with Faculty and students today. The remarks made and
the whole incident is under investigation, and it is possible that the
students in question will be punished for their remarks. And there is the
issue of an unregistered party and under-aged drinking. They really don't
know what is going to happen yet.
Aisha
As for the posters, I don't really see anything demeaning in it. It's a
poster, and that's all. If I let every single thing I saw on TV or in the
streets offend me then I would be in a world of trouble, and certainly not
very happy. I can understand if you were offended by nudity or something, but
we're all grown people, and I would actually say the Fierce Forever poster was
more likely to offend someone.
>>
>> > QUESTION: was it free speech for the hecklers at ATO to yell racist
>> > and sexist remarks to members of The Roots?
>> >
>> > If so, why are you "defenders of the status quo" not backing their
>> > right to free speech, those poor young men who have been sanctioned
>> > for their free speech?
>>
>> While MIT has expressed embarrassment at the students' outburst, and
>> intends to provide "sensitivity training" for them, I don't recall
>> hearing anything that suggests they will be punished for the remarks
>> they made. I've heard they risk sanctions for the alcohol violations
>> that were discovered by the police who quelled the dispute, but not for
>> what they said.
>>
>> We have had a fairly stupid right-wing group running Australia since
>> shortly after I left, and they have probably changed things, but when I
>> was living there, there's a good chance whatever remarks those kids made
>> would have been actionable under the Australian Racial Villification
>> Laws. Would you like to see a similar law forbidding the public display
>> of lewd posters like the "Get Nu'd" party invitation? Should women be
>> forbidden to wear such an outfit in public as well? What do you object
>> to about the poster, exactly, anyway? Did you object to the similarly
>> lewd Fierce Forever poster?
>>
>> Alex.
Aisha Stroman
MIT
Computer Science and Engineering
------------------------------------
It's not our responsibility to prove to people who we are.
Our job and responsibility is to "be."
What you do is proof of who you are; manifestation is realization.
People have a right to think whatever they choose to think.
Just because they think it does not make it right.
--Iyanla Vanzant
